Garment hanger rail



Sept. 26, 1950 A. J. -BAUMGARDT GARMENT HANGER RAIL Filed sept. 2, 194e INVENToR.

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Patented Sept. 26, 1950 2,523,857 GRMENr HANGER RAIL August J Baumgardt, WauWatosm-'Ws Application september 2, 194s, serial Ne'. 47,449

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. 1 The 'invention relates for-automobiles.

UrIhe` main object of `the invention is to-"proi/ide agarment supporting rail that may be readily mounted in the upper portion of the interior of an' automobile where the roof ofthe car joinslthev upper portion of the sides, that may readily ao"` commodate itself to cars vof dierent widths and may be easily installed by a novice.

-` `A-further object of the invention is to provide ajgarment supporting rail comprising a pair of complenrientaryl bar members adjustably secured together and each provided with a side wallengaging foot, the over-,al1 length of each member being' somewhat greater than one-half the distance between the two points of anchorage of said rail, whereby, when said members are brought tofanl alined position, an upwardly arched rail is formed extending between thesides ofA the auto`` mobile. p

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly' dened byv claims at the conclusion hereof. `In, the drawings:

,l Fig. 1 is a sectional view through an automobile showing my improved' garment supporting rail installed therein;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the v parts in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l in a partly assembled position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of wall engaging foot;

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken 0n the line 'i-T O Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 8 designates generally the body of an automobile which has the usual roof lining 3, the side wall lining I0, and a molding strip I I that alines with the joining plane between the roof and the upper portion of the siding of the automobile.

The supporting rail comprises a pair of complementary rail members4 which are adjustably Secured together and adapted when installed to to garment hanger 'rail engage the inner walls of the automobile under rial, preferably a'suitablef-plastic composition or'- wood, and the foot members It are sheet-metal stampings; As'shown, each strip lis of halfround section to form a full circular section where the strips are superimposed though they may be-ofrectangular section to form a square or rectangle where the strips are superimposed. A

Each foot member III has a grooved end portion I5 adapted to engage the molding strip I land anl upwardly inclined hinge 'lug It which is secured to its'rail member byarivet or hinge pin l'l `that passes through the outer ends ofthe superimposed long andfshort strips I2 and I3', said pin securing these strips together at this end of the rail while the other end of the short strip i3 is secured to the long strip i2 by a rivet I8.

Thin metal sleeves I9 having a bore 2li areprof vided'to t over the full crossesectional area of the assembled strips.

The 'long strips'l2V of each rail member being-v of similar cross section are adapted to overlap each otherfor a'portion of their` length "and are; provided with a plurality of spaced openings or*` holes `2I,"so thata bolt 22 passed through alined holes in the strips I2"wi1lsecure themtogether atv the intermediateportion` of the completed rail.

The positioning'of this-bolt22'in the holesljisI so fchosen' that the effective lengthsy of the strips l2wil1 be greaterthan the straight line distance 30 betweeri'their points of anchorage at the sides of' the automobile, so that the strips I2 will be initially in an angular position relative to each other when the feet I6 are engaging the molding, as shown in Fig. 3. Then the strips are pushed from vtheir full line position in Fig. 3 to their alined dotted line position, and this has the effect of vbringing the complementary strips together in an upwardly bowed position, aided by the inclined lugs It, and in this position the sleeves I9 are slipped along each rail member until they engage the extended ends 23 of the adjacent rail member and thus hold the rail members in their assembled upwardly bowed position, the tension of the rail members through this bowing acting to securely hold the foot member Hl against the sides ofthe automobile, thus forming a strong rail on 'which garmenthangers for coats or other wearing apparel mayr be hung. It will thus be noted that the actual clamping or holding pressure between the rails and the sides of the automobile is due to the tension imposed on the rail members themselves.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a garment hanger rail for automobiles, the combination of a pair of complementary yieldable rail members having foot members pivotally connected to their outer ends, means for lengthwise adj ustably vertically pivotally connecting said rail members together intermediate their ends so that when said foot members are brought into contact with the interior sides of the automobile below the top thereof, said rail members will initially diverge from each other at their pivotal connections with said foot members and at their intermediate connection with each other, but when brought to an alined operative position, they will form an upwardly bowed rail secured to the sides of the automobile by the tension imposed by said alined rail members against said foot members, and means for securing said rail members in their alined bowed position.

2. In a garment hanger rail for automobiles, the combination of a pair of complementary yieldable rail members having foot members pivotally connected to their outer ends, means for lengthwise adjustably vertically pivotally connecting said rail members together intermediate their ends so that when said foot members are brought into contact with the interior sides of the automobiles below the top thereof, said rail members will initially diverge from each other at their pivotal connection with said foot members and at their intermediate connection with each other, but when brought to an alined operative position, they will form an upwardly bowed rail secured to the sides of the automobile by the tension imposed by said alined rail members against said foot members, and sleeves slidably mounted on said rail members for securing them in their alined bowed position.

3. In a garment hanger rail for automobiles, the combination of a pair of complementary yieldable rail members, each rail .member having a pivoted foot member grooved to engage the molding strip of the automobile below the roof thereof and having an upwardly inclined pivot receiving lug, means for lengthwise adjustably vertically pivotally connecting said rail members together intermediate their ends so that when said foot members are brought into contact with the interior sides of the automobile below the top thereof, said rail members will initially diverge from each other at their pivotal connection with said foot members and at their intermediate connection with each other, but when brought to an alined operative position, they will form an upwardly bowed rail secured to the sides of the automobile by the tension imposed by said alined rail members against said foot members, and means for securing said rail members in their alined bowed position.

`4. In a garment hanger rail for automobiles, the combination of a pair of complementary yieldable rail members having foot members pivotally connected to their outer ends each rail having complementary half round portions secured together and a half round extension, means for lengthwise adjustably vertically pivotally connecting the half round extensions of said rail members together intermediate their ends so that when said foot members are brought into contact with the interior sides of the automobile below the top thereof, said rail members will initially diverge from each other at their pivotal connection with said foot members and at their intermediate connection with each other, but when brought to an alined operative position, they will form an upwardly bowed rail secured to the sides of the automobile by the tension imposed by said alined rail members against said foot members, and tubular sleeves slidably mounted on said rail members for securing them in their alined bowed position.

AUGUST J. BAUMGARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,726,257 Carlisle Aug. 27, 1929 2,120,619 Mathiesen June 14, 1938 2,253,423 Fellers et al Aug. 19, 1941 2,336,274 Maget Dec. 7, 1943 2,436,228 Purchase Feb. 17, 1948 l 2,472,132 Walker June 7, 1940 2,493,158 Mitchell Jan. 3, 1950 

